Chapter 157

ARIA'S POV

The cave was eerily quiet, and for the first time in hours, we weren’t moving. As I leaned against the damp rock wall, I was grateful for the chance to rest.

My legs were on fire from all the crawling, and I didn’t realize how badly I needed a break until we stopped.

“This is nice,” I mumbled, more to myself than to Kieran, who stood near the entrance of the passage. He was watching the path we had just crawled out from, scanning the shadows with his sharp gaze.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” he replied, his tone serious. “We can’t stay here for long.”

“Why not? It’s quiet,” I said, pulling my knees to my chest. “And my legs might actually fall off if I move right now.”

Kieran sighed and turned towards me. “Aria, we don’t know what’s out here. This cave might feel safe, but it’s not. We need to find the sapphire and get out of this cursed place as soon as possible.”

I groaned, resting my head on my knees. “Fine. Just five more minutes. Pretty please?”